Pain Management

Latest News

Incorporating Discussions of Cannabis Use Into Oncology Care Visits

Incorporating Discussions of Cannabis Use Into Oncology Care Visits

By Laura Joszt, MA

September 15th 2024

The legalization of recreational marijuana in Minnesota has created daily conversations about how to incorporate the use of cannabis into treatment plans for patients with cancer, explained Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, of Mayo Clinic.

Marie Parish, PharmD, BCOP, screenshot

Using Cannabis as a Bridge for Symptom Management in Cancer

By Laura Joszt, MA

August 22nd 2024

Discoveries on Temperature and Touch Win Nobel in Medicine

Discoveries on Temperature and Touch Win Nobel in Medicine

By Mary Caffrey

October 4th 2021

The Top 5 Most-Read Pain Management Stories of 2020

The Top 5 Most-Read Pain Management Stories of 2020

December 30th 2020

How Patients Think About Pain May Impact Activity Levels, Study Says

How Patients Think About Pain May Impact Activity Levels, Study Says

December 22nd 2020

More News

February 11th 2014

Pharmacists Increasingly Take On Clinical Roles

Once limited to filling and dispensing drugs, pharmacists are increasingly providing direct care to patients. Across the country, they are working with doctors to give immunizations and help patients safely manage medications.

December 30th 2013

For Cancer Survivors, 2014 Will Be the Year to Plan

The coming year will be one for those who have beaten cancer to develop survivorship plans, with the Commission on Cancer to require planning by treatment centers starting in 2015.

December 19th 2013

In Healthcare Experiment, Patients Pay More for 'Bad' Medicine

One of the central features of a value-based system is a financial "stick." If patients insist on medical procedures that science shows to be ineffective or unnecessary, they'll have to pay for all or most of the cost.

December 5th 2013

Patient-Centered Palliative Care Can Cut Costs, Improve Outcomes

Palliative care adapted to specific high-risk patients' needs can reduce emergency room visits, improve overall care and drive down healthcare costs, but the current policy and practice framework presents numerous obstacles to its implementation.

December 2nd 2013

Ineffective Pain Management Can Be Costly

Reigning in costs is a key component of healthcare reform. So it is clear why it will be essential for both providers and policy makers to identify those most at risk for driving up costs.

November 27th 2013

Study: Pain Patients Who Show Signs of Trouble Cost Health Plan an Extra $12,877 a Year

A study of Aetna patients taking pain medication showed that those who displayed problematic behavior cost the healthcare system more money than a cost control group, even if there was not a diagnosis of addiction.

November 20th 2013

Safety and Effectiveness of Mail Order Pharmacy Use in Diabetes

Julie A. Schmittdiel, PhD Andrew J. Karter, PhD Wendy T. Dyer, MS James Chan, PharmD, PhD O. Kenrik Duru, MD, MSHS

Patients using mail order pharmacies have lower healthcare utilization, but somewhat less laboratory monitoring of persistent medications and slightly higher contraindicated medication use.

November 20th 2013

An Overview of Pain Management: The Clinical Efficacy and Value of Treatment

Srinivas Nalamachu, MD

November 20th 2013

Quantifying the Impact of NSAID-Associated Adverse Events

Michael Fine, MD

November 20th 2013

Compounding Bill Clears Congress

Supporters of a soon-to-be law that creates an optional new class of FDA-certified compounding pharmacies are cautiously optimistic newly passed legislation will prevent future public health crisis.

November 19th 2013

Opioid Analgesic Treated Chronic Pain Patients at Risk for Problematic Use

Joseph Tkacz, MS Jacqueline Pesa, PhD, MPH Lien Vo, PharmD, MPH Peter G. Kardel, MA Hyong Un, MD Joseph R. Volpicelli, MD, PhD Charles Ruetsch, PhD

A large proportion of opioid analgesic treated chronic pain patients exhibited behaviors indicative of potentially problematic opioid use, which significantly affected healthcare costs.

Dr. Margaret K. Pasquale and Team Identify High-Risk Factors Predicting Opioid Abuse

November 8th 2013

Dr. Margaret K. Pasquale and Team Identify High-Risk Factors Predicting Opioid Abuse

Margaret K. Pasquale, PhD, principal researcher, Comprehensive Health Insights at Humana, says Humana's predictive model of opioid abuse suggests that there are a few factors that might lend people to be at high risk for opioid abuse

October 25th 2013

FDA Wants Limits on Most Prescribed Painkillers

The Food and Drug Administration is recommending new restrictions on prescription medicines containing hydrocodone, the highly addictive painkiller that has grown into the most widely prescribed drug in the U.S.

October 23rd 2013

Inefficiencies in Osteoarthritis and Chronic Low Back Pain Management

Margaret K. Pasquale, PhD Robert Dufour, PhD Ashish V. Joshi, PhD Andrew T. Reiners, MD David Schaaf, MD Jack Mardekian, PhD George A. Andrews, MD, MBA, CPE Nick C. Patel, PharmD, PhD, BCPP James Harnett, PharmD, MS

This study identified inefficiencies in drug and medical service utilization related to pain management among Medicare members with osteoarthritis and chronic low back pain.

October 22nd 2013

Study: Brand-Name Drugs Drive Medicare Costs

Connecticut seniors on Medicare are more likely to take sedatives for insomnia and medications for depression than their counterparts across the country, according to a new report by Dartmouth researchers.

October 18th 2013

Managing Rare Disease and Orphan Drug Costs

The cost to treat rare disease can be extraordinary.

October 11th 2013

Express Scripts Stops Covering Key Big Pharma Drugs on Clinical, Cost-Effectiveness Grounds

A few weeks ago, Novo Nordisk ($NVO) said it had lost Express Scripts' business on two of its top drugs, Victoza and NovoLog. Well, that was just part of the action at the pharmacy benefits manager.

September 16th 2013

Adherence, Persistence, and Switching Patterns of Dabigatran Etexilate

Kimberly Tsai, PharmD Sara C. Erickson, PharmD Jianing Yang, MS Ann S. M. Harada, PhD, MPH Brian K. Solow, MD Heidi C. Lew, PharmD

We present a descriptive analysis utilizing pharmacy claims from a managed care population to quantify adherence, persistence, and switching patterns for patients initiating dabigatran.

September 11th 2013

Testimonials Do Not Convert Patients From Brand to Generic Medication

John Beshears, PhD James J. Choi, PhD David Laibson, PhD Brigitte C. Madrian, PhD Gwendolyn Reynolds, MTS

We conducted a randomized controlled trial to assess whether adding a peer testimonial to a mailing increases conversion rates from brand name prescription medications to lower-cost equivalents.

August 14th 2013

Can We Afford to Ignore the $600 Billion a Year Cost of Chronic Pain?

Roger B. Fillingim, PhD, president of the American Pain Society is one advocate speaking out about the problem faced by patients who suffer from chronic pain, defined as being present for 3-months or more. But he's not the only expert who is talking about finding better ways to help people in pain.

August 12th 2013

Potential Misuse and Inappropriate Prescription Practices Involving Opioid Analgesics

Ying Liu, PhD Joseph E. Logan, PhD Leonard J. Paulozzi, MD, MPH Kun Zhang, MS Christopher M. Jones, PharmD

A quarter of opioid recipients with commercial insurance had at least 1 indicator of potential misuse by patients or inappropriate prescription practices by providers.

August 9th 2013

Medication Management: Integrating the Pharmacist as the Champion

Pharmacists should solidify their place within the patient-centered medical home. Here is an early model that achieves better health outcomes through comprehensive medical management and a team-based approach.

August 9th 2013

Medicare Drug Coverage Doesn't Assure Easy Access to Medications

A new analysis from HealthPocket of Medicare drug plans reveals that in both traditional Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans, consumers face various hurdles in accessing their medications.

August 8th 2013

Health Reform Will Cost Cancer Patients

In an effort to offset cost increases associated with the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Obama administration intends to expand hospitals' access of the 340B discount drug plan. While the expansion may sound promising to some, many others worry that the program will threaten the quality of care, as increased participation risks higher potential for abuse. Even worse, the 340B program will likely rise the cost of cancer care.

August 1st 2013

How to Encourage Medication Adherence to Decrease Health Costs

It was the late C. Everett Koop, a former U.S. surgeon general, who once famously said: Drugs don't work in patients who don't take them. That's a simple way to look at a costly and complex problem - medication non-adherence - where the failure to take drugs on time in the dosages prescribed is both dangerous for patients and costly to the health care system.

July 25th 2013

Is Your Critical Care Unit Ready to Implement New Guidelines for Managing Pain, Agitation and Delirium?

Acutely ill patients are at high risk for pain, agitation and delirium (PAD), and recent evidence shows that implementing early assessment, prevention and detection protocols can reduce risk factors and improve patient outcomes.

July 17th 2013

Using Techy Incentives to Improve Medication Adherence

Medication adherence service provider HealthPrize, run by former Yale Medical School professor and neurosurgeon Katrina Firlik and lawyer Tom Kottler, hopes to raise the bar for patients' medication adherence. HealthPrize web and mobile platforms will utilize various incentives and technology to award patients for proper adherence

June 21st 2013

Wise Medication Use May be Cost-Effective

June 13th 2013

Retail Clinic Growth Expected Under ACA

The Pharmacological Intervention in Late Life (PILL) Service: Enhancing Medication Safety After Hospital Discharge

June 5th 2013

The Pharmacological Intervention in Late Life (PILL) Service: Enhancing Medication Safety After Hospital Discharge

The PILL Service is a care transition program designed to support older adults with cognitive impairment and help them maintain independent function. This program, which has resulted in improved clinical and economic outcomes, is characterized by a team effort focusing on proactive medication review and patient-centered medication reconciliation.

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